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Design Developers

Planned obsolescence isn’t just for your laptop anymore, or that secret switchgrass plantation out back. A worrying amount of new construction, far more concerned with the bottom line than any form of longevity, isn’t meant to last for more than twenty years with the prevailing build-it-up-tear-it-down mindset. And LA, a city seemingly founded on the concept of the strip mall, is one of California’s prime offenders. But as these five developers and designers so aptly demonstrate, Los Angeles’ unique character needn’t be lost in the push toward greener pastures.

Our panelists have all shown a commitment not just to beautifying Los Angeles, but to doing so through sensitive, progressive design. We’ll sit down to discuss what role developers and planners must take to ensure that good design gets off the drawing board and into our cities.

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Paul Solomon, founder and partner of Linear City, is a visionary Los Angeles developer. He has turned his passion for architecture and urban life into an art form on Industrial Street, creating a distinctive mixed-use, Tribeca-style neighborhood in downtown LA’s Arts District. Linear City has converted an unused 1920s toy factory and the historic Nabisco Bakery building opposite into 225 live/work lofts with spectacular views, innovative common areas and independent retailers and start-up fashion and technology companies on the ground floor. To enhance the pedestrian experience while maintaining an openness to the city, Linear City is expanding sidewalks, planting trees and converting Industrial Street to one-way traffic.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Paul graduated from Duke University, where he studied philosophy and played varsity golf. He is a photographer and travels with his cameras and shows his work from time to time. He collects modern art, particularly young California artists, and has wide-ranging, eclectic tastes. He earned a JD/MBA from the University of Chicago and returned to his hometown to practice law. He formed Linear City in 1999. Paul’s manages the acquisition, financing, entitlement, programming, marketing, sales and leasing of Linear City projects. He also recruits retailers to serve the needs of the local community, and organizes the annual IndustrialFest block party.

Paul serves as vice president of the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association (LARABA), co-chaired the Central City Association’s (35 and Under) Movers and Shakers committee, and sits on the boards of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency Central Industrial Community Advisory Committee (CICAC) and the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District Business Improvement District.